Supermodel Beauty Tips From Doutzen Kroes

That model Doutzen Kroes sits in hair and makeup for over an hour before a red carpet event seems unnecessary, if not a little ridiculous. When I arrive at her hotel room at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons to interview her before ELLE's Women in Hollywood event, she's barefaced and practically glowing, wrapped up in a white bathrobe while scrolling through Instagram. Up close and sans makeup, she's unnervingly beautiful.

Photo: Lauren Ross

I had the self-esteem shattering pleasure of chatting with Calvin Klein's latest poster girl (she's the face of the brand's new scent, Reveal) while she prepped for the night's event. Good thing this Dutch model and mother of two (she just had her second child, daughter Myllena Mae, in late July) is so damn nice. The supermodel happily divulged beauty tips (Is there really a right way to apply perfume?), her go-to relaxed fashion look, and opened up about the backlash she felt after snapping back into shape post-baby so quickly.

It's a beautiful white Calvin Klein Collection dress. It's very comfortable, almost like a sweater dress.

When you're on the couch instead of the red carpet, what do you wear?

Sweatpants, T-shirt, and barefoot. I'm always barefoot. Or I have those, what do you call them? Uggs? I don't leave the house in those. But they are very comfy.

Photo: Lauren Ross

You just had another baby—congrats! As a model, do you feel a particular kind of pressure to get your body back into shape after giving birth?

It's such a plus that I have that in my job—you know, most moms, they have the baby, they go back to work and to their regular job—but I get to have hair and makeup, and I get to feel pretty again. I get to have a makeover.

It was a red carpet event for Calvin Klein, for Reveal. It was when we had the global launch in New York and I took her with me from Holland. We came to New York, and did it. It was in and out basically. It was really hard, but, I mean, there was no other person that could do it. I'm the face of the campaign, so what are you gonna do? When I signed the contract it was part of the deal to be back, and I told myself not to feel the pressure because I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy. I also had a good experience with my first child—I knew that my body could come back into shape. And then I told myself, if I'm not going to be back in shape, I'm not going to be, and I'm not going to stress about it.

It must be hard not to.

It's true. There are a lot of things in the media that put a lot of pressure on women to get back into shape, but I've worked out my whole life, and it's something that I think is muscle memory. My lifestyle's been always like on a bike and doing sports, so I think that has something to do with it as well. And it's genetics from my mom.

Photo: Lauren Ross

Can you speak more about that pressure?

I think a lot of other women feel that pressure. And it's almost like people get upset with me if I put a picture out there and I'm already in shape. There are all these stories that after you have a baby [your body] is never the same, but that's not always the case. And I've worked hard for it my whole life. As a model, I work out so much.

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